#240 Asking for a Recommended Sightseeing Route｜French Travel Phrases

When you visit a tourist destination for the first time, you may wonder where to start or how to explore the area efficiently.

Even if guidebooks or maps are not always easy to follow, asking local staff or a tourist information center for a recommended route can help you make the most of your visit.

In this section, I will explain useful French expressions for asking about recommended sightseeing routes, along with conversation examples and key grammatical points.

Dialogue

A

Bonjour, je visite la ville pour la première fois.
（Hello, it is my first time visiting this city.）

B

Bienvenue ! Vous avez déjà une idée de ce que vous voulez voir ?
（Welcome! Do you already have an idea of what you would like to see?）

A

Pas vraiment. Qu’est-ce que vous me conseillez comme itinéraire ?
（Not really. What route would you recommend?）

B

Je vous conseille de commencer par le centre historique, puis de continuer vers le musée.
（I recommend starting with the historic center, and then continuing on to the museum.）

A

Parfait, merci beaucoup pour vos conseils.
（Perfect, thank you very much for your advice.）

1. Explaining Your Current Situation

Before asking for a recommended route, I suggest briefly explaining your situation. This makes it easier for the other person to provide a suitable answer.

The phrase “Je visite la ville” uses the verb “visiter,” which means “to visit” or “to tour.” This verb can be used broadly for cities, tourist attractions, and buildings.

By using the present tense (visite), you can describe your current situation as a whole—that you are currently exploring the city.

The expression “pour la première fois” means “for the first time.” By placing it at the end of the sentence, you naturally convey that you are unfamiliar with the city and would appreciate advice, which encourages the other person to provide helpful suggestions.

2. Asking for a Recommended Route

After explaining your situation, you can ask for a recommended sightseeing route.

The verb “conseillez” comes from “conseiller” (to recommend) and is used here in the present tense, second-person plural (formal “you”). The pronoun “me” indicates “to me,” clarifying who the recommendation is for.

The phrase “comme itinéraire” means “as a route” or “in terms of a route,” and it helps specify the focus of your question.

If you say only “Qu’est-ce que vous me conseillez ?”, the meaning becomes more general (“What do you recommend?”). By adding “comme itinéraire,” you make the question more specific: “What route would you recommend?”

As you can see, “comme + noun” is a useful structure for narrowing down the focus of a question.

3. Understanding the Suggested Route

For example, you may receive a suggestion like the following. In this case, it is important to understand where to start and in what order to proceed.

The structure “Je vous conseille de + infinitive” means “I recommend that you …”

You can continue the sentence using “de + infinitive” to describe actions. In this example, the expression “commencer par ～” (to start with ～) is used.

This expression indicates the starting point or order of actions.

The word “puis” means “then” or “after that,” and it introduces the next step in the sequence.

The expression “continuer vers ～” means “to continue toward ～,” suggesting a natural progression along the same route.

One important point to note is the repeated structure:

Both “de commencer” and “de continuer” depend on “conseille,” meaning that the sentence contains two coordinated pieces of advice within a single structure.

Summary